A kernel may be a central component of a computer operating system (e.g., QnX neutrino, ION, ENA, Linux, etc.). The kernel may manage the computer operating system's resources and/or the communication between hardware and software components. A core dump (e.g., a file containing a memory image of the operating system's process and/or values of processor registers) may record working memory of the operating system at a specific time, generally when the operating system is terminated abnormally (e.g., crashed). The core dump (e.g., the core file) may allow a user to perform a later and/or off site analysis of the operating system.
In some of the computer operating systems, such as the QnX neutrino, a special module called a kernel dumper may run and/or collect the core dump when the kernel crashes. Since a sanity of drivers associated with the kernel may not be assumed, the kernel dumper should not use the drivers to dump the core dump when the kernel crashes. As a result, the kernel dumper may be self contained and/or carry its own set of drivers (e.g., for dumping the core dump). The drivers (e.g., independent from the operating system) may add cost to the system. Additionally, maintaining and/or updating the computer operating systems and the kernel dumper across the system (e.g., the machine and the drivers) may make it more difficult to maintain across platforms and releases.
Overview
In one embodiment, a method of a kernel dumper module in a machine includes generating a dump file associated with a kernel when the kernel crashes, storing the dump file to a functional memory upon applying an overwrite protection to a core dump of the dump file, restarting the kernel through a warm reboot of the kernel such that the core dump is not erased from the functional memory, and transferring the core dump to a system file using the kernel. An exception handler may handle a kernel dumper execution when the kernel crashes.
In another embodiment, an apparatus includes a kernel of an inter-network operating system to reside in a memory of a router, and a kernel dumper module associated with the kernel to store a dump file to the memory of the router without resorting to a ROMMON mode when the kernel of the inter-network operating system crashes.
In yet another embodiment, a system includes a first network with at least one node, a second network with at least one node, and a router (e.g., may include a kernel dumper module to store a core dump to an available memory of the router when a kernel of the router crashes and restart the kernel without resorting to a ROMMON mode of the router) to communicate data packets between the first network and the second network through a communication path between the first network and the second network.
The methods, systems, and apparatuses disclosed herein may be implemented in any means for achieving various aspects, and may be executed in a form of a machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform any of the operations disclosed herein. Other features will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.
Other features of the present embodiments will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.